Another Premier League manager has been chopped as Mark Hughes was given the boot by Stoke after the Potters were dumped out of the FA Cup on the weekend by League Two side Coventry. That was just the latest in a long line of blows that Stoke have suffered this season under the Welshman and he was pretty much on borrowed time after a recent home loss against the struggling Newcastle in the Premier League.
The Potters are sat in the Premier League relegation zone now and boats the worst defensive record in the top flight. They currently hold a -24 goal difference and only two sides before have ever managed to avoid relegation from the Premier League with such a poor defensive record. One of them was Swansea last season who had shipped 51 goals at the stage of the season. Stoke currently have conceded 47.
The Potters have lost twelve of their 22 Premier League matches this season with just the five wins and they have collected only fourteen points from their eleven home games. Long gone are the days when the Bet365 Stadium was a real fortress for the club under Tony Pulis who injected stability into the club. The question is now, who do the Potters turn to in order to try and get themselves out of this mess?
Giggs? Rowett? O’Neill?
The name of Ryan Giggs has been touted around heavily in the former Manchester United man getting his first managerial job, but that’s probably a risk that they aren’t going to take. They need someone experienced to get themselves out of this mess that they are in and Martin O’Neill and Gary Rowett name’s have been tossed around also. They are both currently employed of course though, O’Neill in charge of Ireland and Rowett doing a fantastic job in a promotion push with Derby in the Championship.
It’s unlikely that Rowett would swap now for a top-flight relegation scrap and therefore the more likely of the two is O’Neill who could be looking for pastures new after failing to get Ireland to the World Cup 2018 and at 7/4 with William Hill, he will have some appeal* (betting odds taken January 7th, 2018 at 5pm). He ticks the boxes of being known for building strong teams full of grit and he has the experience for a relegation fight.
The other notable names of managers currently out of work are former West Ham boss Slaven Bilic who certainly would bring the fighting quality to the table and former Everton boss Ronald Koeman, who is likely to have less appeal. They are likely going to go with some a bit more pragmatic, someone who is ready to roll up their sleeves and get stuck in. Maybe now with Tony Pulis out of work again and available, they could lure him back.
After a game against Manchester United on January 15th, which the club will surely have a new manager in place for, there is a good run of matches in the top flight for Stoke as they face Huddersfield, Watford, Bournemouth, Brighton, Leicester and then Southampton and so there should be plenty of points on offer for them in that sequence through to early March to get themselves safe. Stoke are 2/1 at William Hill* (betting odds taken January 7th, 2018 at 5pm) in Premier League relegation betting.
Next stoke Manager betting odds*
Martin O’Neill 7/4, Ryan Giggs 12/1, Slaven Bilic 12/1, Ronald Koeman 12/1, Garry Monk 20/1, Sean Dyche 20/1, Steve McClaren 25/1, Tony Pulis 25/1, bar 33/1
